Bowie Railroad Buildings
Encyclopedia
The Bowie Railroad Buildings comprise three small frame structures which served as the depot
complex for the Pennsylvania Railroad
at the junction
of the Washington (Amtrak
/MARC Train
) and the Pope's Creek branches. The complex is located at Bowie
in Prince George's County, Maryland
. The complex includes a single-story freight depot, a two-story interlocking tower, and an open passenger shed located alongside the tracks of the Huntington, or Old Bowie section of the city.
The complex of buildings are significant for their contribution to the development of rail transportation in the region, and as examples of the types of buildings commonly associated with small-scale rail junctions in the early 20th century. The railroad depot structures in Old Bowie are rare survivors recalling the once prominent number of railway stations in the Washington, D.C.
metropolitan area. These small buildings are testament to the significance that a railroad junction had in the commerce and intercourse of the nation at the time of the heyday of the railroads. As an active station, the original Bowie Station was built by the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad, which was then acquired by the Pennsylvania Railroad, and later by Penn Central Railroad. When Amtrak took over passenger service in 1971, the station became a stop for the Chesapeake
train between Washington and Philadelphia, until it was acquired by MARC, and replaced by the Penn Line
. The buildings have been restored to the Pennsylvania Railroad livery of gray with burgundy trim, and are being maintained by the City of Bowie
Museum Division, and supported by the Huntington Heritage Society as a community museum.
In 1989, MARC service moved to Bowie State
.
located in Bowie
, Maryland
. The museum is owned by the municipal government
and is located in the Bowie railroad station. It hosts several displays featuring Bowie's railroad history, including artifacts and photographs.
A 1922 Norfolk and Western Railroad caboose
is located on the museum grounds. There is no admission charge to the museum which is handicapped accessible.
The City of Bowie purchased the buildings that comprise the museum from the railroad and located them together on the current museum site in 1992. These buildings were then restored in collaboration with the Huntington Heritage Society.
The buildings are located at 8614 Chestnut Avenue, near the intersections of 11th Street, close to the rail line. The City of Bowie maintains six sites in its museum system, all of which have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places
since 1998.
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
complex for the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
at the junction
Junction (rail)
A junction, in the context of rail transport, is a place at which two or more rail routes converge or diverge.This implies a physical connection between the tracks of the two routes , 'points' and signalling.one or two tracks each meet at a junction, a fairly simple layout of tracks suffices to...
of the Washington (Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
/MARC Train
MARC Train
MARC , known prior to 1984 as Maryland Rail Commuter Service, is a regional rail system comprising three lines in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. MARC is administered by the Maryland Transit Administration , a Maryland Department of Transportation agency, and is operated under contract...
) and the Pope's Creek branches. The complex is located at Bowie
Bowie, Maryland
Bowie is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 54,727 at the 2010 census. Bowie has grown from a small railroad stop to the largest municipality in Prince George's County, and the fifth most populous city and third largest city by area in the state of...
in Prince George's County, Maryland
Prince George's County, Maryland
Prince George's County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, immediately north, east, and south of Washington, DC. As of 2010, it has a population of 863,420 and is the wealthiest African-American majority county in the nation....
. The complex includes a single-story freight depot, a two-story interlocking tower, and an open passenger shed located alongside the tracks of the Huntington, or Old Bowie section of the city.
The complex of buildings are significant for their contribution to the development of rail transportation in the region, and as examples of the types of buildings commonly associated with small-scale rail junctions in the early 20th century. The railroad depot structures in Old Bowie are rare survivors recalling the once prominent number of railway stations in the Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
metropolitan area. These small buildings are testament to the significance that a railroad junction had in the commerce and intercourse of the nation at the time of the heyday of the railroads. As an active station, the original Bowie Station was built by the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad, which was then acquired by the Pennsylvania Railroad, and later by Penn Central Railroad. When Amtrak took over passenger service in 1971, the station became a stop for the Chesapeake
Chesapeake (Amtrak)
Chesapeake was a daily passenger train operated by Amtrak along the Northeast Corridor between Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
train between Washington and Philadelphia, until it was acquired by MARC, and replaced by the Penn Line
Penn Line (MARC)
The Penn Line is a MARC commuter rail line running from Union Station, Washington D.C. to Perryville, Maryland via Penn Station, Baltimore, Maryland on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. It is MARC's busiest and only electric line. Currently the line is the fastest commuter rail line in the country, with...
. The buildings have been restored to the Pennsylvania Railroad livery of gray with burgundy trim, and are being maintained by the City of Bowie
Bowie, Maryland
Bowie is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 54,727 at the 2010 census. Bowie has grown from a small railroad stop to the largest municipality in Prince George's County, and the fifth most populous city and third largest city by area in the state of...
Museum Division, and supported by the Huntington Heritage Society as a community museum.
In 1989, MARC service moved to Bowie State
Bowie State (MARC station)
Bowie State is a passenger rail station on the MARC Penn Line between Washington, D.C., Baltimore, MD and Perryville, MD. This station is also on the southern section of the Northeast Corridor however, Amtrak does not stop at this station....
.
Huntington Railroad Museum
The Huntington Railroad Museum is a railroad museumRailway museum
A railway museum is a museum that explores the history of all aspects of rail related transportation, including: locomotives , railway cars, trams, and railway signalling equipment.See List of railway museums...
located in Bowie
Bowie, Maryland
Bowie is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 54,727 at the 2010 census. Bowie has grown from a small railroad stop to the largest municipality in Prince George's County, and the fifth most populous city and third largest city by area in the state of...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. The museum is owned by the municipal government
Local government in the United States
Local government in the United States is generally structured in accordance with the laws of the various individual states. Typically each state has at least two separate tiers: counties and municipalities. Some states have their counties divided into townships...
and is located in the Bowie railroad station. It hosts several displays featuring Bowie's railroad history, including artifacts and photographs.
A 1922 Norfolk and Western Railroad caboose
Caboose
A caboose is a manned North American rail transport vehicle coupled at the end of a freight train. Although cabooses were once used on nearly every freight train, their use has declined and they are seldom seen on trains, except on locals and smaller railroads.-Function:The caboose provided the...
is located on the museum grounds. There is no admission charge to the museum which is handicapped accessible.
The City of Bowie purchased the buildings that comprise the museum from the railroad and located them together on the current museum site in 1992. These buildings were then restored in collaboration with the Huntington Heritage Society.
The buildings are located at 8614 Chestnut Avenue, near the intersections of 11th Street, close to the rail line. The City of Bowie maintains six sites in its museum system, all of which have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
since 1998.
External links
- Bowie Railroad Buildings, Prince George's County, Inventory No.: PG:71B-2-9, including photo in 1997, at Maryland Historical Trust website
- M-NCPPC Inventory of Historic Sites (Prince George's County); Bowie Railroad Buildings, entry 71B-002-09, p. 91
- Huntington Railroad Museum